Like The Rain
by Kaze no Ato
Summary: SongficSet in Winhill prior to Raine's death. After spending time with the woman who saved him, Laguna finds out that he may not hate the rain as much as he thinks. Laguna x Raine. Laguna's POV.


Hello. Well, this is the first FFVIII fic that I've posted here at …or any place for that matter! I hope you enjoy reading it, because I enjoyed writing it.

Lots of hugs and thanks to all that review!

-Minmay

(_Italics - _Thoughts/Emphasis on words) (**Bold** & _Italics - _Lyrics)

This fic is in Laguna's POV.

:_Like the Rain_:

I looked out the front window for what seemed like the millionth time today. I was greeted with the same sight as I had been for the last three weeks. Rain.

Hyne, I hate rain. I can't do anything when it rains. No playing, no fishing, no picnics. Ugh. Well, no point in staring at it even more, right? So I figured, let's see what's out the window to my left.

There, not five feet from the window is another. Through that one was a beautiful sight: That wonderful woman who had saved me. Her dark brown hair was held back by its usual headband and her storm-colored eyes danced with laughter.

Ah, speaking of laughter! There goes that rambunctious little girl that the woman was fostering. I love that girl so much. Heck…anyone would! And maybe I love that woman too.

Ha! Irony is a very, very funny thing. That storm-eyed woman was named after those accursed silvery droplets of misery. Raine…

Whoops! I've been caught! Too bad for me little Elle has such a good eye. Ooh, now she's waving for me to come over.

Okay, my first thought was that I didn't want to get wet. Second, I didn't know if I had Raine's permission. But I had to get it one way or another; I love spending time with Elle.

So, I thought it wise to voice-er, show- my second thought instead of the first. I made eye contact with Raine, held her gaze for a while, then gave her the most pleading puppy-dog eyes I could. Heh, even Ellone would be jealous of that look! It did the trick. She rolled her eyes and nodded. Yay!

I looked around for my umbrella before remembering that I had lost it while fishing. How did I lose my umbrella fishing? Well, it's actually funny-really it is! You see Kiros wouldn't let me use his spare fishing rod and I decided to use my umbrella instead. Okay, so I actually hooked a fish and was about to pull him in…when my umbrella flew out of my hands and into the lake. Gaah! I'm getting off-track! What can I use to cover my head? Ooh, there's my jacket. Yes! So, with jacket covering head I stepped out of my house and towards Raine's bar. I was walking so carefully, trying not to get wet…then it happened. My leg cramped. Instinctively my right hand went to massage it, but in doing so only my left hand was holding up my jacket. I was soaking wet within seconds.

Hyne, I hate rain. And to add insult to injury, Raine was waiting with her door open. She was almost in tears from laughing so hard. Laughing at me!

After hobbling into the bar and seating myself at the counter I was handed a warm towel and an even warmer mug of spiced tea from Ellone. I just knew I wasn't going to live this one down.

"Is the brave Warrior afraid of a little water?" teased Raine, her laughter tinkling like a thousand tiny bells.

"Aw, Raine! Don't give me that sh-" I stopped short. _Whoa, if looks could kill. Better rethink that_. "Poop."

Then I felt a tug at my pant leg, looked down, and found myself staring straight into those oh-so-innocent eyes of Ellone's. "Uncle Laguna, why would Raine gib yoo poop?"

"Ellone, stop talking like a baby. I know very well you can talk properly." Raine scolded the young girl, but kissed her none the less. "It's time for bed anyway."

"Aw, yoo no fun." Elle replied, pouting. "G'night Uncle Laguna!"

I kissed her forehead and gave my precious little Elle a hug before she walked up the stairs sulking. Phew, crisis adverted. All right, _one_ crisis averted. I was all alone with Raine now and I think I just felt another cramp. She was awfully quiet, in a creepy sort of way. Ow, that smarts…stupid leg.

"So, eh…how are you?" I finally got out. _Great, my voice just made me sound like a nervous wreck._

Those beautiful eyes looked at me over the rim of her mug, and those eyes were smiling. "Wonderful. This is my favorite time of year in Winhill. I just want to run outside and enjoy the rain."

Truthfully, I don't think I could have given her a stranger look if she had suddenly grew two more heads and her skin turned mauve.

"Enjoy it? It's rain for Hyne's sake. I hate the rain!!" I admitted. And as soon as those words left my big mouth I knew I should just shut up. Kiros was right, it makes me sound more intelligent.

"Oh?" she quirked a delicate eyebrow my way, "Then I guess you should leave if you hate rain so much."

"What I meant was that I like you but not the wet kinda rain. Er, no that wasn't it either. I just like you. Gaah! What am I saying?!" I felt my face flush. _Okay, really thinking Kiros was right…_

I would have continued my incoherent blabbering if she hadn't given me a kiss on the cheek. And wow! What a way to get me to shut up. My voice dropped so many decibels that you couldn't hear it unless you were a dog. Silence passed with the minutes as we finished off two more pots of tea.

It was getting late and I knew I should just go home. Ellone was probably fast asleep and Raine needed her rest too. I finished off the last of my tea in one big gulp and reached for my jacket when she placed her hand atop mine.

Funny, I never thought to question her as to why she was leading me out the door and into the torrent outside.

Neither of us was wearing a jacket. We walked a complete circuit of the courtyard in silence. Somehow we had ended up in the very center of the courtyard. There she took my hands in hers and began to twirl around gently.

**I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you**

**Every thundercloud that came was one more I might not get through**

**On the darkest day there's always light and now I see it too**

**But I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you**

I can't tell how long we went in circles, but it was enough to leave both of us dizzy. We steadied each other to keep our footing, lest we fall unceremoniously on our butts.

**I hear it falling in the night and filling up my mind**

**All the heaven's rivers come to light and I see it all unwind**

**I hear it talking through the trees and on the windowpane**

**And when I hear it I just can't believe I never liked the rain**

**Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you**

**Liked the rain always calling for you I'm falling for you now**

**Just like the rain**

I pulled her into a soft hug and the world stopped except for the two of us. Oh, and the mayor's wife telling us that we were going to catch our deaths out in the rain. But we really weren't listening to her.

**When the cloud is rolling over thunder striking me**

**It's as bright as lightning and I wonder why I couldn't see**

**That it's always good and when the flood is gone we still remain**

**Guess I've known all along I just belong here with you falling**

**Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you**

**Liked the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now**

**Just like the rain**

**I have fallen for you**

**I'm falling for you now just like the rain**

What I did next was the bravest thing I have ever done without my leg cramping up on me. I kissed Raine. And not on the cheek either. No sir! The only other woman I had kissed was Julia, and that was on the cheek.

**And when the night falls on our better days**

**And we're looking to the sky**

**For the winds to take us high above the plains**

**I know that we'll find better ways to look into the eye of the storms that will be calling**

**Forever we'll be falling**

I don't know how long we would have kept kissing if a cheer of delight coming from Rain's porch hadn't interrupted us. Its source? Ellone.

Can your face turn a deeper shade of red then a ripe tomato? Because I think Raine's and mine did.

**Like the rain I have fallen for you, and I know just why you**

**Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just**

**Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you**

**Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just**

**Like the rain I have fallen for you and I know just why you**

**Like the rain always calling for you, I'm falling for you now just**

**Like the rain**

After Ellone's outburst, she was promptly scolded for being up so late after her bedtime. And me? I went home. _Well, it's a start._

My favorite season in Winhill is now Autumn. And Hyne…I love the rain.

:-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-:

-The End-


End file.
